Professor Swain’s research interests are in contemporary Japanese theatre, concentrating on theatre by marginalized groups in Japan, especially the Korean diaspora in Japan, and theatre interactions between Japan, Korea, and around the Pacific Rim. His Ph.D dissertation, completed at UCLA in 2004 is titled,
Nomads Still: Zainichi-
Koreans and Contemporary Japanese Theatre. Publications include “The Globalization of ‘Riverbed Beggars.’” in
Text & Presentation, 2005, and“Senda Koreya and the
Tenkô Paradigm.” in
Modern Japanese Theatre, 2005.He has translated several Japanese plays into English. Most have been published in the
Half Century of Japanese Theater series, including
Citizens of Seoul, by Hirata Oriza, and
Hinemi, by Miyazawa Akio. In February 2008 he was dramaturg and translator for the American premier of
Hinemi at CSU, Northridge. Outside Japanese theatre, one of his favorite playwrights is Suzan-Lori Parks.
Back to Faculty Page
